Gags with Master Ken and SweetCream - May 1999

Master Ken is the author of the "Gaggage" section of "Screw the Roses, Send Me the Thorns."

Amanda exclaims: hi everyone <smile> thank you for coming masterken!
MasterKen exclaims: Good evening, Amanda! It's wonderful to see you here ... :)
Amanda says: im really looking forward to this, i wouldnt miss it for the world <grin>
Shasha nods
MasterKen exclaims: Me, too ... I can hardly wait to see what I'm going to say!
Amanda laughs
Shasha giggles
Rowan laughs
Samantha hops up on stage, bringing the famous Amanda with her
Amanda teeters on the edge, grabbing sam for balance
Samantha acks and holds her up, then makes sure she's settled and not going to fall

Samantha exclaims: Welcome tonight, everyone!  We are so excited to have MasterKen with us to talk to us about Gags!  Samantha ahems and winks at sweetcream.  Not to mention his wonderful sub, Sweetcream.
Amanda exclaims: will you join us in welcoming masterken!

SweetCream grins at Samantha ... :)
Amanda applauds both of them!
Samantha applauds loudly!
Amanda applauds!
Rowan applauds
kada applauds
Samantha yanks Amanda offstage by her shirt collar
Samantha giggles
Amanda laughs and grabs a good seat, watching masterken expectantly
Rowan watches Sam and Amanda and laughs
kada listens quietly

MasterKen says: Good evening, everyone!  I've been looking forward to this discussion ...  Probably the only thing that qualifies me, is that I've been gagging young ladies (girls) for longer than most of you have been alive.  I hope to be able to provide information for you.  I should say ... that while I have a fair knowledge of gags in general, my true interest has always been in the use of cloth.  Why cloth?   Well, first ... as SweetCream would say ... you can't explain a fetish ... :), and secondly, because I've found that there's a great deal of variety to be had, using the feel, the taste, and the smell of dishtowels, scarves and bandannas.  So if anyone has a question, or a comment ... I'd be happy to try and answer them.  Another thought ...  I've always believed that bondage is not complete without a secure, MOUTH-FILLING gag ... "bound and gagged" is a term that is as dear to me as ham and eggs or god and country ... :)  In my book ... if you want to be bound ... you WILL also be gagged.

Amanda asks: why mouth-filling? and how does the sub manage to breathe?

MasterKen says: Well ... in the movies ... or on TV, somehow a nylon stocking tied over the heroine's mouth PREVENTS her from calling out to her rescuer, just a few feet away.   But in real life if we are seeking to silence (or at least quiet) our subject ... the flow of sound must be STOPPED.  We do that by wadding an appropriate sized cloth into the mouth of the subject, and then tying it in place.  In the absence of health issues, the subject can still breathe comfortably through her nose.  I might add that if the gag is unusually large breathing through the nose might be affected, but surprisingly, the victim can usually breath easily AROUND the gag itself (through the mouth).

Rowan says: does a full mouth gag stiffle all sounds and if so is that truly safe if the sub feels she is in danger?  Or he <smile>.

MasterKen says: Well ... let me say first that it's impossible to TOTALLY stop all sounds with a gag, and believe me, I've tried.  At least the kind we're talking about here ... and the bottom line is trust between the "gaggee" and the "gagger."  We've gotten a little ahead of ourselves ... there are some absolute rules of safety.

MasterKen says: First ... any gagged subject should have a safe signal.  We like ... one of our favorites ... the dropping of a jingle
bell in the event of any kind of trouble.  MOST IMPORTANT:  The gagged subject, if she is bound ... should never, NEVER, *NEVER* EVER be left alone ... even for a minute.   Of course (as an aside), that doesn't mean that she can't THINK she's alone ... gotta love those mind games, too.

Salt asks: well, I was told before that in all times, have a knife or something handy just in case for when you are being "bound and gagged", is this
correct?

MasterKen says: Well ... yes ... we keep a pair of surgical scissors on our bondage dresser ...as well as a safety knife in our toybag ... knots can tighten ... rope can constrict and you must be prepared to deal with something like that IMMEDIATELY.  As for the safe signal, the jingle belll may be dropped for various reasons ... but my immediate reaction is to first remove the gag ... then determine the nature of the problem

Amanda exclaims: do you prefer cloth gags because they soak up the drool? <grin> i find it hard to believe that DOminants really LIKE drool all down the chin!

MasterKen says: I personally find NO turn-ons in drool and the fact that the cloth absorbs it, is just fine with me.  Though there are a lot of folks who like ball gags, for example ... and find the drooling aspect a real turn-on.

Amanda asks: you mentioned cloth gags and ball gags...how many other kinds are there?

MasterKen says: I always refer to the "hardware" ... balls ... bits ... prods ... harnesses ... and the software  ... towels, cloths, bandannas, scarves.   There's quite an array of leather and rubber devices available and they are great for those who love them.  It's all a matter of personal taste ... :) To requote SweetCream ... you can't explain a fetish ... and since childhood, I have looked at domestic articles around the house as potential gags.  I should add this, too.   At the time when I was a child ... in the 40's and 50's ... when I began to openly enjoy my hobby ... we didn't know about balls and bits and the hardware stuff.  What bondage literature there was, was from John Willie, Eric Stanton, and those good old boys made do with cloth.

Salt asks: okay, I know what bits, prods, and harnesses are, but what exactly is a "ball" gag?

MasterKen says: A ball gag is usually a rubber ball of some kind ... handball sized or so with a strap running through it.  The idea is that the ball is placed in the subject's mouth, and the strap is buckled (or the rope is knotted) behind their head.   Another variation has the ball held in the mouth by a half dozen straps running in different directions around the head, to ensure it stays put.  SweetCream likes to say that a ball gag makes her look like the main course at a luau.
SweetCream blushes and grimaces
Amanda laughs
Samantha laughs

MasterKen says: a caution for those who like to play with ballgags is to try and remember where it may have been last ... sometimes they leave a lot to be desired in the way of sanitation.   A "cure" is to wrap the ball in saran wrap.

Rowan asks: when using a cloth gag would you moisten it first or does that depend on the situation?

MasterKen says: It does depend on the situation ... but I do like to moisten the cloth wad in the mouth for two reasons.  One is ... wetting prevents it from sticking to the inside of the mouth and causing "pizza mouth," and secondly, water in the fiber of the fabric tends to block more sound ... hence, a quieter lady ... :)   MasterKen grins
darius gins
Rowan smiles

Samantha asks: what if you have asthma?  Is there a big risk in using gags?

MasterKen says: Actually ... I have gagged a few ladies who have asthma without a problem.  They'd taken their medicine prior to the experience ... and we'd built up trust first ... but I have to say that you feel your way along ... and every instance is different.  A lot of it has to do with how tense the person is.  I mean ... a little fear is a good thing.  But too much anxiety can bring on an attack.  But that's where a safe signal comes in ... :).  Or call it a "panic button."

Amanda asks: MasterKen, you mentioned to me once about a public instance where you used a gag on sweetcream <grin> could you tell us about that, and maybe give us hints about other ways to do this in public?
SweetCream groans
Samantha chuckles

MasterKen says: Well ... I  LOVE public gaggage.  Needless to say ... SweetCream doesn't.

Amanda laughs
Shadowlady smiles

MasterKen says: One of my favorites ... as we park in the supermarket lot, is to produce two men's handkerchiefs and stuff them into SweetCream's mouth.  All she has to do is keep her lips closed ... and off we go grocery shopping
Rowan shivers
Samantha chuckles
Pleasure's eyes widen
MasterKen says: and I ... as well as some of the other shoppers ... are intrigued by the quizzical look on her face.  After a while ... she felt she just had to get a few thoughts across to me ...and a lot of heads turned when she spoke ...

kada thinks thats when sign language would come in very handy
allura nods

MasterKen exclaims: Frankly, I didn't see the problem ... all she had to do was open her mouth, and pull out the two handkerchiefs in the middle of the store!  Another favorite adventure of ours, is the blindfolded mall-walk ... no gag for this one, but an OBVIOUS blindfold.  We park in the far corner of the lot ... SweetCream is blindfolded with a dishtowel, covered by a brightly covered scarf and off we go walking, arm-in-arm, to circumnavigate the mall.

Amanda asks: have you ever been stopped and questioned?
SweetCream says: The only problem with that one is that they're usually sure that I'm some poor injured thing

MasterKen says: We do get quite a few looks, though we've never been stopped

Samantha grins..well, the next time i see that mall walker that is blindfolded, i'll know who it is!

MasterKen says: I think her bright pink blushing, and giggles make folks pretty sure that she's not doing anything against her will

Rowan asks: have you done that in local malls where you can be recognized?
SweetCream says: We've never been stopped or questioned

MasterKen says: Well, Rowan ... neither of us are big mall fans
Rowan smiles
MasterKen says: so we're really not "known" at any mall ... :) ... but I did pick one without escalators ...
Rowan says: but that doesn't mean co-workers or family aren't

kada says: My question goes back to the panic attack.  When someone is having a panic attack there are signs that one is coming on. Do You watch for these signs and try to ease the attack before it gets too bad??

MasterKen says: Frankly, we haven't had the experience where someone had a full-blown panic attack.  One trick is to go slow ... and to apply the gaggage without the subject being bound.  To be gagged with your hands free ... knowing that you COULD take it off is vastly different than the same gag with your hands crossed and bound behind you.
kada nods

MasterKen says: SweetCream spends a great deal of time wearing a gag simply for my pleasure as she goes through her evening's activities.  In fact ... she might be gagged right NOW for all you know.
kada grins
Amanda grins, looking over
Samantha turns her gaze to SweetCream
SweetCream looks around the room quietly

Amanda asks: have you ever gagged yourself MasterKen, just to see what it feels like? or is watching sweetcream enough of an education <grin>

MasterKen says: I have worn every gag I have ever put on anyone else ... I call it research & design :) because I feel that I need to know what my subject is experiencing.   I think that's true in almost every area of dominance.   Although many "Doms" may disagree.
Amanda nods, agreeing
SweetCream says: This is also a man who sleeps in a blindfold almost every night, because he likes the dark and quiet ... :)
kada agrees completely
Samantha grins
Chooser fully agrees

MasterKen says: Some of you might like to experiment with cloth gaggage ...I believe that you'll find our gag primer in the Iron Rose library [ http://www.iron-rose.com/IR/library.htm ]  free for the download ... :) or whatever.  And for materials ...you can stop at your local Wal-mart, and spend a couple bucks on a package of flour sack towels ... Those are the materials we generally use in the primer.  One of the simplest and most effective gags for a beginner is a knot gag.  A flour sack towel, rolled into a cylinder or rope, with an overhand knot tied in the middle.  Place the knot in the mouth ... tie the ends behind the neck ... you have a good basic gag, fairly effective, and easy to breathe with.  A good trainer, you might say ...

Amanda asks: do you use a special brand of towel that is really long? it seems that a knot, then around the head, wouldnt leave a lot of cloth left over to make any kind of a secure knot or do you use a special knot?

MasterKen says: the flour sacks from Walmart are about 29 inches square.  You roll them diagonally ...they seem to be long enough for our purposes.
Amanda nods, making plans to go experiment.....

MasterKen says: another hint ... to keep hair out of the towel knots and to add a note of "humility" ... have your subject wear a headscarf ... or a kerchief.    I have experimented with different layers and have come up with variations on the basic knot gag. Some of them quite restrictive.  To make them more severe ... experiment with adding layers, a muffler ... a blindfold, and even what we call "bunny-ears" or a jaw restraint ... tied around the chin and face.  They are the MOST restraining, because you have the wadding in your mouth ... then the muffler over it packing the mouth open ... then the bunny ears adds a whole other level of restraint.

MasterKen says: To wrap it all up, I know a lot of you to find gags to be frightening and daunting but I've always believed that in all bondage, a mandatory gag is the frosting on the cake.  Please do check out our gag primer.  Get together some scarves and bandannas, and give it a try
...  Silence is golden ... AND FUN!!!
Amanda laughs
Samantha laughs
Chooser grins
redkitty smiles
Samantha smiles.. thank you so much MasterKen!
Samantha claps

MasterKen says: I would like to thank IR ... this has been very enjoyable, and I hope we can do it again some time ... :)

Rowan laughs
Samantha exclaims: most definately!
Amanda applauds...thank you SO much masterken!
Chooser applauds
SweetCream leaps on MasterKen and kisses him thoroughly
kada applauds and thanks MasterKen
Amanda exclaims: the thought of not being able to talk is scary for me <grin> but you make it sound like fun!
MasterKen shuffles his feet and kicks sand
Chooser exclaims: many thanks, MasterKen!
redkitty applauds Thank You MasterKen
Samantha nods and nods..its was a wonderful discussion and thank you for taking time out to come speak to us about it
Rowan applauds
MasterKen says: it's VERY interesting.  Don't knock it before you give it a thorough try ... :)